Cory Byers (he/him)
Tier II Instructor
Office Phone: (618) 650-3827
Email: cobyers@siue.edu
Vimeo: CoryB
About
I teach courses in Media Production and Advertising, and I coordinate our department’s senior project, an internship and portfolio. Most of my classes feature hands-on learning where students produce work in that specific field. In many of my classes we focus on ideation and then turning those ideas and concepts into tangible works (advertisements, videos, etc.). As the Director of Video Services, I produce promotional and educational videos for university and external clients. My creative work alternates between short documentaries and short narrative films. While I typically write, produce, direct, shoot, and edit; I often work with student crew members. I’m a member of the Broadcast Education Association, the Television Academy, and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – Mid-America Chapter.
Education
M.F.A. (Television & Screenwriting) Stephens College, Columbia, MO
M.A. (Mass Communications and Media Arts) Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
M.S. (Advertising) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
B.S. (Advertising) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Research Interests
Film and television writing and production, commercial production, documentary production, copywriting
Selected Creative Activities
Documentary Shorts
Byers, C. (Director). (2023). Beautifully Broken.
Byers, C. (Director). (2023). Flotsam!.
Byers, C. (Director). (2020). Garden Flow.
Narrative Shorts
Byers, C. (Director). (2023). Sold Out.
Byers, C. (Director). (2022). Copy That.
Byers, C. (Director). (2021). Restroom.
Feature Screenplays
Byers, C. (Writer). (2021). Blowback.
Byers, C. (Writer). (2021). The Fifth Story.
Byers, C. (Writer). (2020). What You Sow.
Television Pilot
Byers, C. (Writer). (2020). Miss Fortune.
Web Series
Byers, C. & Robbins, M. (Writers). (2021). Farm Girl.
Selected Awards
2022-2023 SIUE Teaching Distinction Award
2023 BEA Festival of Media Arts – Best of Competition – Faculty Screenwriting – Blowback
2023 Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Diversity Initiative – Miss Fortune
2022 BEA Festival of Media Arts – Best of Competition – Faculty Screenwriting – The Fifth Story
Courses Taught
MC 326: Copywriting & Design
MC 333: Advanced Video Production
MC 421: Advertising Campaigns
MC 422: Strategic Media Writing
MC 433: Advanced Video Directing and Producing
MC 435: Post-Production
MC 443: Narrative Media Production
MC 481: Internship/Senior Portfolio
